Alcohol preparation devices or alcohol wipes have been known and used in the medical profession for a number of years. Such devices include alcohol absorbing material, such as a gauze or gauze-like material which contains alcohol, and a fluid-tight protective package that is sealed to define therein a chamber in which the absorbent alcohol containing material is contained. U.S. Pat. No. 2,621,784 discloses a package for containing an absorbent applicator pad for liquid medicaments and other materials; the package comprises a sheet of material folded to form a mitten for receiving the user's fingers and having a tab which is pulled or peeled in the plane of the package to open the same so that the pad can be removed. The foregoing device is unsuitable for medical applications or any other application where the user must be able to use the hand employing the package such as to hold medical instruments since the fingers are in the mitten, and because it is cumbersome to utilize. An example of one type of absorbent material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,542,634; such material is used in the Webcol alcohol prep device sold by the Kendall Company, Boston, Mass., for example, for the purpose of applying sterilizing isopropal alcohol to the skin of a patient. Another example of such absorbent material and a package for containing the same is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,057,467; the absorbent material is a folded towelette containing a particular fluid for cleansing and refreshing a user and the package material is, for example, an aluminum foil with a thermoplastic liner. Such package material is impervious to the fluid contained therein, including both the liquid and vapor or gas forms therof. Such material also is impervious to air and other materials that might otherwise contaminate the fluid and absorbent material contained in the package. The '467 patent discloses polyethylene, polyvinyl resin or cellulose acetate as suitable thermoplastic materials for providing a protective coating on the foil and for providing the impervious vapor-proof barrier desired; such materials also are readily heat sealable to seal closed the package. Other materials of which the package disclosed in the '467 patent may be made are cellulosic materials lined with a thermoplastic film or various synthetic or plastic materials. The device in the '467 patent is manufactured by forming a three part sandwich of two sheets of package material and the folded fluid impregnated towelette therebetween, and the edges of the package material sheets are heat sealed to each other about the entire perimeter of the package.
Several disadvantages inure to the prior fluid applying devices, such as the prior alcohol prep devices, towelette devices, etc. One disadvantage is that the package material must be torn to open the same in order to remove the absorbent material. Upon tearing of the package, the absorbent material may be torn, which may reduce usefulness thereof. Also, when the package is torn it may result in one and possibly two pieces and must be discarded, depending upon whether the tear fully severs one part from the other; and eventually the absorbent material also must be discarded separately. The separate discarding steps may waste time and may result in one or more pieces not reaching a proper waste container, e.g., a piece may drop on the floor and create a safety hazard. A further disadvantage particularly with respect to prior alcohol prep devices is that the user, such as a medical technician, nurse or physican, must physically touch surfaces of the absorbent material; this increases the potential hazard of contamination of the sterile condition of the absorbent material and frequent touching of that material often tends substantially to dry the skin of such user. Moreover, frequent flexing of the heat sealed package may result in loss of the seal integrity.